/ 
w * 
r . f ;• 
r 
GRBEJTLANDS 
19 3 6 
V EI> 
☆ mays 1936 ☆ 
U. S. Department of Agriculture. 
Twelve years hare parsed' 3 inb» I prepared my first little iris 
list. Years pocked full of i«y and sorrow, with tlie garden a haven 
of refuge in times cf stress. Years full of many interests, of busi¬ 
ness cores that banished me from eur Virginia garden for the greater 
uart «•** each yesr. Ye-rs ^u 11 of garden*nr violently in Virginia in 
summer. try' ■' rr t A moke in ^or "’ A st t’me, and xjear-e^ul . 1 y in Texas 
d'l.r tbe r 9 1 ^ . i»'* nter. aid snr 7 ■ , v, 
Ye*rs fhpf : 1 1 tr- .g e»~ V » -ts; o f making nlar^t 
r’ end<»; ^ r re-e*-* 0 1 d f r' eodsbors; of harry ho \ra spent in coauc- 
; ng ”•'■’* \g or re’ ictait .it've r 1 sots to share our garden and 
bloom; and the ever recur r' ;ig interest of crossing this with that, 
waiting for cesi ts fora, t« germinate, and finally the 'wonderful 
thrill of seeing the resultant plants £r«w to maturity and tlaorn. 
One uf the greatest interests brought ry these ysars hag been 
the comparison cf the behavior of plants in the two gardens, espec¬ 
ially that of iris rhizomes. These of some varieties tnat Lave large 
or fairly large rhizomes in Virginia, dwindle perceptably in Texas, 
without however effecting the fclpem*. Those same roots replanted in 
Virginia, ruickly regain their normal size. Some iris tiiav wore not 
remarkable in Virginia were very boyii.fi fill in Texas, while others 
that wore lovely in Virginia refused to grow in Texas. So to the 
usual interest of growing beautiful and worth while iris was added 
the incentive to grew those that would do well in both places. 
One thing to be remembered when riantinw iris in Texas, end 
• * s ' 
I also prefer the practice in Virgin!*, is t« ccver the rhizome with 
at least an inch of dirt, Planting "as a duck sits in water" just 
-V 
went work down there. G-oed drainage * 
He.nerocjllis are harpy'in bath climates, doing well in sun or 
shade, rrcvlded they are nlanted *n * loose r” eh soil and watered 
d’ir" v 'g ver^ dr * sie’ 1 ft. ( 
Varc'*^ 1 ?* on 1 v to be nlanted ? n a re " 1 drained soot, left 
a 1 o e. a id +’\r r ' 1 w r p' * d to d * * ’1*tura 1 ’ v. to give lovely 
b oorn ■f'or me iv : 'e*rs be o"e d’v's‘ A i s needed. 
Eg fa lie X uiab 1 e Davi s, 
